Things Not To Do During Pregnancy

Pregnancy is one of the most sensitive and vital time in a woman’s life. Therefore, it is crucial to keep more care and pay more attention towards their diet. It is more important to know what to eat and what not for expected women. For the good health of the mother and baby, there are certain restrictions for a pregnant woman. Certain foods can be consumed by a pregnant woman while others should be avoided completely.

Most of the women don’t take pregnancy too seriously and continue their normal routine; consequently, it will lead to minor and major complications in pregnancy. But it is indispensable to have a healthy diet for women for good health of mother and baby both and to avoid consuming certain foods and doing potentially risky activities.

According to the research, a pregnant woman should avoid some food and beverages that should be problematic for now and later. If you are confused about what to eat and what not then, this article will confirm which food and beverages are beneficial and healthy for an expected woman.

Selected food material

A change in a pregnant woman’s diet is obvious and the basic reason is due to their sense of smell or because of food make them feel ill. However, there are some foods that should be avoided by a pregnant woman even if they are favorite to her.

1. Unpasteurized juice and dairy

Unpasteurized juice and dairy products can contain chemicals like listeria and bacteria that may be harmful to the mother as well as the baby’s health and cause food poisoning.

2. Soft cheese

Some cheese may contain unpasteurized dairy, mainly imported soft cheese like brie, feta, and Queso Blanco.

3. Lunchmeat and deli salads

Deli meat and food like premade chicken may contain listeria which is a bacterium. It can cross the placenta and may be deadly for the fetus.

4. Raw Fish and Meat

Raw meat and fish, including sushi and raw oysters, may contain pathogens salmonella and toxoplasmosis both of them increases the risk of getting a foodborne illness. This illness may cause dehydration, fever, and intrauterine sepsis and a blood infection that can be deadly to the fetus.

5. Fish high in mercury

There are several fishes, including swordfish, shark, mackerel, which contains a high level of mercury that may cause brain damage, hearing and vision problems.

6. Raw egg

Raw egg contains salmonella that should be avoided by pregnant women. Also, food made by raw egg such as unbaked cookie dough or homemade Caesar salad dressing should avoid by them.

Alcohol

Alcohol is harmful to a pregnant woman as it crosses the placenta and can affect the fetus and may cause fetal alcohol syndrome. When alcohol enters the womb, it develops a wide range of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and these disorders may cause several health issues to baby and mother both that includes:

a) Poor growth of baby

b) Physical abnormalities

c) Mental disabilities

d) Intellectual disabilities

e) Behavioral problems

f) Development delays

g) Reduced coordination and fine motor skills

Smoking

Smoking is harmful for health as it may increase risk of heart disease and lung cancer and especially women should quit smoking as soon as they come to know they are pregnant. Woman who is continuing smoking while pregnancy can cause the following problems during and after pregnancy:

a) Premature birth

b) Sudden infant death syndrome

c) Placenta issues

d) Congenital abnormalities like cleft lip or cleft palate

Drugs

As drugs is always been a dangerous substance for human body, it can be even more harmful for pregnant ladies. Misuse of certain prescribed drugs or using illegal drugs can cause Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) to new born baby. In addition to this, it can also increase the risk of pregnancy loss, stillbirth, and congenital abnormalities.

Caffeine

Likewise alcohol is banned in pregnancy, same goes with caffeine. According to the research, excess caffeine can cross the placenta and affect the fetus. Research suggested that a pregnant woman should limit the intake of caffeine to 300 milligrams per day. Studies told that quantities taken more than this may be harmful and increase the risk of pregnancy loss low weight of baby.

Hot tubs, overheating and saunas

Most pregnant woman often found relaxing in hot tubs to eliminate the discomfort but experts recommend avoiding hot water tubs and saunas. According to the some pregnancy association, hot tubs, overheating and saunas may cause hyperthermia or high body temperature which may lead to congenital abnormalities.

Additional activities that should be avoided are-

a) Dehydration

b) Exposure to extreme heat

c) Long sunbathing

d) Hot yoga or pilates

e) Strenuous exercise

Activities that may fall in risk

Expected woman should avoid any activity that may fall her in risk. Predominantly, after the first trimester, sports like skiing, ice-skating and rock climbing should be avoided. Experts said – the center of gravity shifts as the belly expands during pregnancy, so even a minor fall leads to major injuries.

Sports

It is strictly recommend to pregnant woman to avoid contact with sports such as football and boxing. It is common to face hormonal changes in pregnancy and playing sports while pregnancy may cause the ligaments to become looser. Sports increase the risk of placental abruption which is the premature separation of the placenta from the uterine wall. Placental abruption is called a severe condition than can cause preterm birth, stillbirth, and pregnancy loss.

Heavy lifting

Heavy lifting in pregnancy is risky for woman. Lifting heavy objects can increase the risk of low birth weight, pulled muscles, hernias, preterm labor etc.

Amusement Park Rides

Usually amusement park has dangerous rides, including roller coaster or any other that may start and stop suddenly, which are risky for pregnant ladies. These rides have jarring motion that may cause placental abruption. So, it is strictly suggested to expected ladies to avoid such rides.

Certain medicines

Some medicines contain heavy doses and taking these medicines by a pregnant woman is restricted as they can harm the fetus. Medicines should be avoided while pregnancy are-

a) Most herbal remedies

b) ACE inhibitors

c) Ibuprofen and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NASIDs)

d) Cold and flu medicines that contains specific ingredients

e) Acne medicines

f) Certain cold medications during first trimester.

Changing a litter box

According to the researches, changing a litter box could be risky for pregnant woman. Cleaning dirty litter box can put a person at a risk of toxoplasmosis and if a pregnant women passes toxoplasmosis to the fetus, it may cause severe problem to baby, such as:

a) Eye damage

b) Brain damage

c) Blindness

d) Intellectual disabilities

Certain exercises

Although exercise is the most effective way to keep your body fit and active and it is also recommended to do regular exercise in pregnancy such as walking, swimming squats etc. But there are certain exercises that may be risky for a pregnant woman and should be avoided, such as

a) Sudden changes in directions

b) Jarring or jerky movements

c) Bouncing, leaping and jumping

d) Some abdominal exercises on the back like situps

To avoid risk, it is best to speak to doctor about any existing or new exercises.

Changes

Pregnant woman can carry on with their normal routine but if they are making some changes in their routine, they should concern to their doctor. They are not supposed to do any changes in their routines as long as it is not necessary.

If you are in little doubt while making changes in your diet, exercise or any other activity then it is better to speak to your doctor. Some pregnant ladies particularly put themselves in risk of preterm labor or other complication with making changes in their routines to which is not good for their health.